Asthma (Phoenix, Tucson, Surprise: rental, gated, allergies)

[KLR87]

Thinking of moving to AZ from PA. How is the weather/climate for those with asthma? My hubby has it bad. He's allergic to everything. He has to take allergy pills quite frequently.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by KLR87

Thinking of moving to AZ from PA. How is the weather/climate for those with asthma? My hubby has it bad. He's allergic to everything. He has to take allergy pills quite frequently.

The Valley here is horrible for asthma sufferers, myself included. I live on pills, more so during the winter months. Pollution here is pretty bad, too, and triggers my asthma (Google Phoenix's brown cloud). I can tell when its getting bad because my breathing becomes more labored. Sure enough, the next day or two I see the "high pollution advisory" warnings on the highway signs. Some people can predict weather with aching joints, I can predict high pollution.

[sandy6879]

Pollution is terrible. Driving on Wednesday morning, I was trying to figure out why it was hard to see and then realized - the pollution/grossness in the air. You can see it well when you fly into the valley too.

I never had allergy issues until we moved here. I'd advise, if that's already an issue, to not take the leap until you've been here for extended periods of time on vacation, in different times of the year.

[JGMotorsport64]

Don't do it, my MIL once lived here and her asthma flared up to the point where she was having frequent attacks. Once she moved they stopped.

There was a time when Phoenix was a good place for Asthma, the pollution and non-native shrubbery sort of ruined that.

If you're set on living in Arizona try Tucson, if it's the desert try Albuquerque, both have cleaner air and less non-native shrubbery.

[AzScorpion12]

Originally Posted by KLR87

Thinking of moving to AZ from PA. How is the weather/climate for those with asthma? My hubby has it bad. He's allergic to everything. He has to take allergy pills quite frequently.

Everyone's different with how their allergies and asthma are here in AZ.,mine was the total opposite of BIG CATS and Sandy. Since moving here I rarely take any Claritin and my asthma has been great,I've never felt better. It all depends what you're allergic to and what triggers your asthma. For me I was allergic to everything back east...mold,dust mites,grass/tree pollen and that would trigger my asthma too. The only time my asthma bothers me here (and it's rare) are days when it's cool and damp. Now I've heard that after being here you can become allergic to the native trees/plants here but so far I've been lucky and fell 100% better.

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by KLR87

Thinking of moving to AZ from PA. How is the weather/climate for those with asthma? My hubby has it bad. He's allergic to everything. He has to take allergy pills quite frequently.

Try Tucson first.

Dry air is beneficial for asthma sufferers but Phoenix has way too much pollen because of all the irrigated non-native plants. The bermuda grass and orange blossoms there used to bother me a lot.

But I had no problems in Tucson.

Whatever you do, rent for at least one year to be sure.

[cactusland]

Some of the advice here isn't true. It really depends what his triggers are. Tucson may be a better choice overall in terms of pollution and plant life.

Also agreeing with the rent a year advice. You won't know till you try it out.

[Diane de Poitiers]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

There was a time when Phoenix was a good place for Asthma, the pollution and non-native shrubbery sort of ruined that.

.

That's true......I know the reason my mom's family moved to Phoenix was because one of her younger brothers had asthma, and it was similar for my dad's family. (this was back in the early 1960s, if I'm correct)

Anyhow, from my personal experience with asthma, I do know it tends to flare up during November and December, and the pollution here in Phoenix doesn't exactly help.

[KLR87]

If we'd live outside of Phoenix on either side of the city (within 40 minutes), would that take us away from the pollution and also, would it be a little cooler during the summer?

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by KLR87

If we'd live outside of Phoenix on either side of the city (within 40 minutes), would that take us away from the pollution and also, would it be a little cooler during the summer?

I think that potentially can make a big difference on escaping a chunk of the pollution/"brown cloud" inversion layer that happens around here at times. The "brown cloud" generally moves from west to east and settles in the lowest part of the valley/in the east valley. We are about 40 minutes from Phoenix in Goodyear in the Estrella foothills and we miss lots of that brown cloud look/type of air because we are above the inversion of that type of brown air that sinks. In the Northwest part of the valley/the far northwest side of Phoenix where master planned communities exist like Vistancia I think you'll escape much of it also. Same for cities like Buckeye. I've also noticed lots less of it in outskirt cities like Surprise which again is in the northwest corner of the Phoenix metro.

As for asthma, I think what was already said about it all depends is spot on and is an individual thing on what brings on your asthma....is it an allergy to a plant(s)? Pollution? Mold? Both? I can tell you unless you live some where far out in the desert, most of the cities around here have tons of plant variety and some of it drops lots of pollen. For me, the irony is not much pollen bothers me but the one that impacts me the most for just a few weeks in March is a native desert tree, the Mesquite tree which is a nasty pollinator. I read it can throw its pollen as far away as something like 20+ miles. For me it's just a little stuffiness/runny nose, nothing major, but my body reacts to it. But again will any of it impact you or not? You won't know until you experience it all yourself. I think a rental period/at least some stays for a period at different times of the year if it all impacts you or not.